The park is 7,250 square kilometres (2,800 sq mi) in area and holds extensive inland wetlands, acting as an important source of water to the dry lands that surround it.

[4] The Banhine National Park used to be home to Cape buffalo, sable, common tsessebe, hartebeest, Selous' zebra, and blue wildebeest.

Results of an aerial survey in October 2004 showed that the park had healthy populations of ostrich, kudu, impala, reedbuck, duiker, steenbok, porcupine, warthog and oribi.

[7] There is a small human population in the reserve, damaging the environment by slash-and-burn cultivation of maize, sorghum, cassava and sugar cane.

The government is encouraging people to move out of the park by building permanent water sources outside of the reserve and giving incentives for relation.